proofreading

Spice up your writing—and horrify your readers

By Ron JetteWritingcredibility, editing, Interrobang, proofreading, puncuation, typos, writing

Today, we are going to talk about punctuation. But not just any punctuation. We aren’t going to talk about the little “helpers” we learned about in grade school. Commas, periods, question marks, apostrophes, slashes (the solidus) and exclamation points fall into this category. As do the ones most still haven’t quite mastered such as the…

The hidden cost of typos

By Ron JetteWritingediting, proofreading, typos, writing

How important is good writing? After all, this is the Internet age where everything is fast, fast, fast—who cares whether or not U R a gr8 writer, right? I’ll tell you who. Your customers. The folks who pay your bills. They want to understand you and they want to understand your products and services. And…

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“In a short amount of time, the team provided the clinic with a comprehensive communications strategy that dramatically improved the awareness of the clinic to physicians and patients in the community.”

Simon Akinsulie
The Ottawa Hospital Weight Management Clinic

“I know the value of always keeping in contact with my customers—I see it every day—but it is tough to find the time to do it on a regular basis. With their customer contact program, they take care of everything, giving me a highly customized monthly electronic news bulletin that is both useful to my customers and keeps them aware of us and what we offer. Best of all, it costs far less than advertising and other less-targeted ways of reaching our market.”

Chef Marc Miron
Cuisine & Passion Gourmet Foods

“Ron was able to take very complex material and turn it quickly into product that we could use to address questions and concerns from a range of stakeholders. He was easy to work with and very accommodating. It was a pleasure to have him on board. He instilled in us a strong sense of confidence—and he didn’t disappoint.”

Valerie Lasher
Health Canada

“We really enjoyed working with you. . . You did an amazing job of spinning our dry text into marketing copy that is easy to understand.”

Cybèle Trottier-Vogelsang
Transport Canada

“Their services were very timely, professional, first-rate and responsive. My website now looks very professional and I am getting many compliments on it.

Norman C. Miller
Chartered Accountant

“ They are quick to get up to speed, highly focused and willing to listen, three qualities that ensure we get top-quality communications advice and products.

Paul Benoit
Ottawa International Airport Authority

“Their editors and writers ensure that our newsletters are not just grammatically correct, but that they have a sense of style that make them easy to read. The reality of tourism economics is that we often have to talk about numbers. Your writer makes sure the numbers are both meaningful and interesting to read.”

Marta Stelmaschuk
The Conference Board of Canada

“They were not afraid to challenge us or make us think about issues that had an impact on our message. At the same time, they gave us options that helped us move forward.

Mike Feinson
Innovation Partners International

“I would recommend that anyone setting up a website or preparing a brochure use their services—money well spent.”

Norman C. Miller
Chartered Accountant

“He edited a summary report for us on very short notice. After Ron got through what we had provided, it was like a whole different report: clear, concise and professionally modified. He even took the time—under already tight timelines—to edit a series of data tables that gave the report that extra touch. Very impressive. We will definitely not hesitate to use their services again.”

Julio Garasa
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

“Thanks for your assistance with this project—we are very pleased with both the speed and the quality of your work. It became clear soon after we began that you share our commitment to providing value in terms of great service and high-quality products. We look forward to working with you, again, soon.”

John Liptak
OakWood Design + Build

“The content and advice I received really transformed my website for the better—it was like night and day! I anticipate obtaining many more new clients than I would have had otherwise.

Norman C. Miller
Chartered Accountant

“The importance of what we had to say is self-evident. The need to deliver this message in a compelling way was essential. Our success on the latter is directly attributable to the many, many hours and talent you put into this report.

Shirley-Ann George
Canadian Chamber of Commerce

“We were most impressed with how the writer was able to take complex ideas and present them in straightforward, clear language. He was systematic, professional and thoroughly engaged in the process—taking ownership of the challenges allowed them to give us exactly what we needed.”

Robert De Wit
MultiNexus Corporation

I highly recommend them to business owners looking for a competitive edge. They really helped AGBL tell a true story of worth and value to our customers—a story we would not have been able to convey without this excellent agency.”

Gaetan Buttigieg
AGB Lawyers

“Thank you for the very professional job. We received very positive feedback from customers.”

George Boszormeny
Castor Heating and Cooling Ltd.

“The writing was strong, positive and benefit-driven. Our expectations were high, their delivery was higher.”

Mike Feinson
Innovation Partners International

“Please accept my thanks for the dedication and effort you put into Powering Up. We sincerely appreciate that you put far more work into it than either of us intended at the outset. There is no doubt that your commitment to ‘getting it right, no matter what it takes’ has turned our ideas into a platform document we’ll be able to use for years to come.”

Shirley-Ann George
Canadian Chamber of Commerce

“As a writer by profession I was reluctant to accept the need for someone else to write for me, but I now recognize the tremendous benefit and value in having a professional do our business writing. I have recommended them to my business clients so they can achieve greater success in their businesses.”

Craig Bater
Augustine Bater Binks

“Thank you very much for the great writing on the press release. I couldn’t have asked for a better day!”

Roger Pattison, CEO
Grill Master Express

“The team did a terrific job of taking our bare facts, researching the third-party requirements, asking the right questions of us and putting together an award-winning proposal under a very tight deadline. They are easy—and even fun—to work with.

Craig Bater
Augustine Bater Binks

“I cannot express how pleased I am with the final result and that fate brought us together on this project. Thank you!”

Lee Underwood
Trinity Communications Group

“Our firm first hired the team in the fall of 2011 to write copy and material for our new website being designed at that time. We have hired them since that time on at least two further occasions both for further web work and for other smaller ‘pieces’ because, among other things, their work is catchy, it attracts customers and they are a pleasure to work with.

Gaetan Buttigieg
AGB Lawyers

“They were able to take my thoughts and translate them into the exact message I wanted to get across, not only to my clients, but to prospective clients, as well. The people were outstanding. I would not hesitate to refer them to anyone who wanted to effectively get their message out. Did I mention they also made it fun?”

Judith Cane
Antara Financial Group

“Ron has been most helpful in his ability to write clear and professional announcements with a very positive spin, while honouring our cultural style and working under very tight deadlines. He seems to know just what questions to ask to be able to produce high-impact communications with very little involvement from me.”

Joanne Rivard
IPEX Inc.

When we work together, we expect great things and we are never disappointed. I am pleased to recommend them.”

Paul Benoit
Ottawa International Airport Authority

“As well as the fast and friendly service, what I appreciate most is their careful attention to detail while still keeping an eye on the big picture.”

Susan Mogensen
Executive Director
International Policy Governance Association

“It was a pleasure to work with them. They took my firm’s ideas, brought them to life, polished them and made us shine in our promotional materials. Highly recommended.”

Paul Lewandowski
Criminal Defence Attorney

“Any good writer can use proper grammar and spelling but the writers stand out because they write to sell. Even more than that, they produce text that needs little, if any, revisions—that makes my job a lot easier.

Taylor Hunter
Inside Edge Properties

“I also appreciate that they provide regular progress reports. It’s important for me to stay on top of things and with their writers, I always know what’s going on.”

Taylor Hunter
Inside Edge Properties

“One of the best things is that they know how to add just enough spice to make even the most basic information interesting and understandable. And no matter how complex or tight the deadline, we always get service with a smile.”

Lise Poissant
Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy

“One thing that is apparent immediately is that the writers have a solid understanding of marketing and of what it takes, specifically, to “sell” our organization. Their enthusiasm is contagious and the advice is always backed up with solid reasoning. It’s a real pleasure to work with them.”

Peter Stewart
Executive Director
Orléans Chamber of Commerce

“I wanted to thank you for your help putting our sponsorship booklets together. This booklet would never have turned out so great if we had done it in-house and it is all thanks to the great team you had working on it.”

Suzanne Wert
Orléans–Cumberland Community Resource Centre

“Ron ably assisted me in getting the story of my late father, Dr. Bud Keenan, into the Globe and Mail Lives Lived section. Competition for this column is intense with many more biographies submitted than can be printed. His writing skills succeeded in crafting a story that made for great reading.”

Dr. Dirk Keenan
Keenan Health Centre

“Excellent video! It complements the presentation I am giving this year very well.”

Bob Grant
Transport Canada

“All I have to say is WOW, what great content! So straightforward, no fluff, very smart. I am so impressed! But not surprised!”

Julia Borgan
ABORG Computing

“I thought that you’d like to know the reaction to Powering Up has been very positive. Included in this commentary was how clear and effective the messaging is. For example, the Secretary General of an important international agency commented that it was one of the best reports he’d read.

Shirley-Ann George
Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Tag: proofreading

Spice up your writing—and horrify your readers

The hidden cost of typos